


wake up sunshine (somebody loves you)

by Ofwordsandroses



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Canon Compliant, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, I forgot sukki was a character and I feel bad but not bad enough to rewrite, It is, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck, gaang and zuko bonding, how zuko gets accepted into the gaang, it's fluffy guys, mild bad language, the gaang finds out about zukos scar
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-08
Updated: 2020-04-08
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:55:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,074
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23548768
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ofwordsandroses/pseuds/Ofwordsandroses
Summary: Zuko had finally gotten his honour back, a throne and a kingdom but he found the only thing he really wanted was next to him. He did not need his honour when he had instead found his family.or: how Zuko gets adopted by the Gaang
Relationships: Iroh & Zuko (Avatar), The Gaang & Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 39
Kudos: 1460





	wake up sunshine (somebody loves you)

Zuko let his legs dangle over the ledge he had perched himself on, the last dregs of sunlight slowly fading from the Air Temple as he tried to take another calming breath. He could hear the rest of the group laughing happily by the crackling camp fire further into the temple but Zuko didn’t think he could handle Katara’s murderous glares if he chose to stick around, not today at least. He had wandered off the second he had finished teaching Aang and left the others to go drown in his miserable thoughts. Well that was if you could class what he and Aang did as ‘teaching’

What kind of firebender couldn’t bend fire?

After the frustration had left him Zuko had near on cried when he took in the pitiful flames he kept producing. It was nothing like the blazing inferno he used to call upon before. Nothing like Azula’s fire. Aang and his hopeful optimism hadn’t helped either, it was like he had fully lost the ability. Without his flames he was nothing, a disappointment just like his father had said he was.

It was Azula who had always been the prodigy and Zuko had always been left behind, not as good, not as powerful. How hard it was to realise they had all been right all along. Now here he was without even a spark to his name-

‘Sparky!”

Apart from that one.

Toph had clambered up to sit next to him on the ledge he had conquered though her feet didn’t leave the ground like his. Her feet had been healed up by Katara thankfully. Zuko had tried apologising again but Toph had told him to can it so he could only assume the earth bender had let bygones be bygones which was nice, it was good to have at least one person who didn’t despise him in camp. He found he had an easy companionship with the small girl and Zuko had never bothered to hide the respect he had for her. Aang truly had no idea how lucky he was to have her as his teacher.

“Are you okay Sparky?” she asked next to him although to Zuko it sounded more like a demand. That’s just how Toph was he had learnt over these few days, she was both the unmovable and unstoppable force in almost everything she did.

“I’m fine” Zuko muttered sullenly lacking the heart to snap at her. She tutted in faux disappointment as a response

“I know when you’re lying” she said in a sing-song tone before her expression turned serious

“Look I know that the relentless optimism the rest have is hard to believe, I get it" there was a grimace on her face that made Zuko very curious about what specific incident she was thinking of but he knew better than to ask "but tomorrow you and Aang are going to get your fire bending back, there’s no point resigning yourself to losing your bending when you’ve not explored every option” she lectured berating him for his depressing spiral and Zuko found himself nodding in agreement to her speech dragging himself out of his depressing thoughts. He breathed in deeply and calmed himself down recognising the logic in Toph’s words. His life really was a mess if he had to get talked sense into by a child.

“Are we in agreement Sparky?”

Shaking his head at the near permanent nickname Zuko gave a small hum of acknowledgement to her question. Not a second later he was punched in the arm

“What was that for?” he yelped in surprise

“It’s how I show affection” Toph said innocently shrugging her shoulders.

They watched the sun go down together and Zuko smiled.

It was nice, having Toph around.

~

The campfire that night had been uncomfortably jovial. He and Sokka had returned from The Boiling Rock (and wasn’t that a thing he hoped to never do again) and the whole group had congregated around the fire, Zuko sat awkwardly on the outskirts as far away from Hakoda as he could manage. Sokka and his father were currently in the middle of a dramatic retelling of their prison break, Sukki occasionally chiming in. He looked on at their easy dynamic with something uncomfortably twisting in his gut. The pair were constantly smiling and laughing and the only time Hakoda even raised a hand was to clap Sokka on the back after a particularly good joke. Sokka’s father clearly loved him and didn’t that made Zuko feel like an absolute bag of shit when remembering his own father. The father he was plotting to kill, the father who had burnt him ( _suffering shall be your teacher, suffering shall be your teacher_ ) The only thing close to a father figure Zuko had ever had was Uncle and he had just abandoned him, abandoned him to rot in that prison because his honour was more important than his family-

Another peel of laughter interrupted his spiralling thoughts. Zuko breathed in deeply in attempts to calm himself stubbornly ignoring the concerned looks Toph was shooting his way. He was fine, it was all just fine. Focusing on his breathing he blocked out the easy companionship around him lest it lead to the well beaten paths of his darker thoughts. Nobody commented on the way the camp fire seemed to match the firebender's breathing nor the way that the flames flared every time Hakoda’s booming laughter filled the camp site.

As the others started preparing for bed he also slipped away ruffling Toph’s hair as he walked past in a quick goodnight. He already knew it would be pointless to try and sleep tonight. Not when all he could think about was his father’s looming presence, his sisters burning fierce eyes staring him down from the other side of the battle field and his Uncle who by now will have finally realised what a disappointment he was. No he wouldn’t be sleeping tonight and Zuko didn’t think he could bring himself to practice his Katas right now. Not when the voice of his father echoed in his head and he felt phantom burning pains when he closed his eyes. Grabbing his dual swords from his bed roll he walked back out into the cold night air heading to a shrouded spot in the temple. He could hopefully tire himself out enough that he would pass out for a few hours.

Reaching the shadowed area of the temple he almost stumbled back in surprise seeing Sokka in his usual empty spot. The other boy was flopped out on the ground staring into the darkening sky as if it held all the answers. Zuko shuffled his feet nervously debating whether he could slip away without Sokka noticing. Deciding that that was indeed the best course of action he turned around prepared to find another spot to practice in when he heard Sokka’s voice call out after him

“Running away from me Zuko? And here I thought we were closer than that” Sokka teased from behind him but even Zuko could tell it was lacking the usual spark he usually carried.

“I was just going to run a few drills” Zuko explained, gesturing to his dual swords a bit helplessly “I didn’t want to disturb you” he finished quietly as Sokka seemed to study him for a few moments before heaving himself up.

“Spar with me”

“What?” Zuko couldn’t help replying as Sokka drew his sword.

“Spar with me, the only reason your out here is because you can’t sleep, we might as well be awake together”

It was just the kind of stupid logic Zuko couldn’t really argue with. Shrugging his shoulders acquiescing he slipped into an easy stance watching as Sokka did the same across from him.

Zuko didn’t let Sokka move first. Instead he struck quickly, Sokka barely having enough time to parry. Zuko couldn’t help the smile that grew on his face as he and Sokka traded blows dancing their way across the temple as steel clashed against steel. Most times the duel ended in Zuko’s favour but sometimes Sokka prevailed, gleefully laughing as he disarmed one of Zuko’s swords before the fight began again with a new vigour. When Zuko managed to disarm Sokka again he surrendered. He flopped down to the ground panting heavily and Zuko followed soon after giving up on saving face and lounging out like the other boy happily embracing the cool night air

“Damn how are you so _fast?”_ Sokka questioned between breaths, Zuko laughed in response.

“I never knew you were that good with a sword, boomerang boy” Zuko said back laughing again when Sokka recoiled back dramatically at the nickname

“Jerk-bender”

“Water-tribe Peasant”

“I can’t even call you angry ponytail jerk now”

Sokka’s last comment halted their teasing. Zuko could once again feel that dark shame twisting back up again as they sat in silence.

“Hey Zuko?”

Zuko moved so he could see Sokka’s face, raising an eyebrow at the uncharacteristic serious expression adorning it.

“Thank you for helping me rescue my dad. I- I couldn’t have done it myself”

Zuko turned away quickly trying to hide the flaming blush on his face although judging by Sokka’s small laugh it was a wasted effort.

“Don’t mention it” Zuko mumbled awkwardly “What are friends for if not breaking into a top security prison and somehow getting out alive” he joked weakly

He knew he had said the right thing when Sokka’s face lit up in a brilliant grin nodding in response to his remark.

“Too right Sparky”

Not even a full minute after Sokka had seemingly passed out on the temple floor sleeping heavily. Zuko smiled as Sokka snored gently beside him. Friends. He could get used to that.

He sat back and watched the sunrise.

~

The house at Ember Island held far too many bad memories for Zuko to sleep peacefully. Memories of his mother, memories of Azula, of his father. He could never decide which dreams were worse. The ones of Azula and his father now, sneering at him with lightning crackling at their fingertips, his mother dead and a phantom burning pain on his face or the ones from when they were happy, watching theatre with his mother, Azula, small and cheerful with bright eyes and a child’s curiosity looking up to her big brother (and what a big brother he had turned out to be? Had they ever actually been happy? Had he ever been enough for his father?)

It was these thoughts that rattled about his head that it made it almost impossible to sleep, haunted by the past that inhabited the house. Zuko sighed pushing himself off the bed brushing a hand through his hair as he meandered out of the house. The others all slept together in one of the larger rooms. When they first arrived they had all jumped at the chance to have their own rooms (Sokka especially) but by the third night of constant tossing and turning and seeking each other out they gave up on the pretence far used to sleeping close together to be separated.

Zuko wasn’t invited to join them. Not that he cared.

Quietly pushing open the front door of the house he happily breathed in the cool night air before moving across the decking. If he was lucky Sokka would also be lurking about somewhere outside and would be willing to spar with him. They had all seen far too much of this war to not be plagued by restless nights. Zuko wandered over to the figure he saw crouched at the edge of the porch.

It wasn’t Sokka.

The hunched figure of Aang sat on the wooden decking, so deep in thought he didn’t even stir when Zuko sat down next to him. The pair of them sat like that for a while, staring out at the dark purple sky, shoulders brushing. Aang shuffled a bit until he was properly pressed against Zuko’s side. Zuko had noticed that about Aang, the Avatar was very clingy when it came to his friends and could usually be found clinging to one of them at any given moment. It was just one of those odd quirks that Aang had that he had gotten used to and if that meant that he would indulge the twelve year old who occasionally hang off of him like he was a tree then so be it. The silence between them lasted for a while as they both watched the clouds drift by overhead before Aang spoke

“Bad dreams?” he questioned softly so unlike his usual boisterous self. Zuko gave a non-committal hum in return keeping his eyes on the sky above not in the mood to delve into the thoughts that plagued his sleep. Aang nodded sagely in reply as if Zuko had just answered everything. He probably had in a way.

The two didn’t say anything for a long while after that, merely sat in silence as the night passed around them. Dawn was slowly creeping in, the faint pink hues tainting the sky only serving as a testament to how long they had spent out in the night air. He should probably move back in before the others woke up and freshen up but Zuko was reluctant to part with the sunrise.

“Do you think your answer to my question’s changed?” Aang asked suddenly, eyes still looking out even when Zuko turned to face him. Zuko stared confused at Aang but couldn’t for the life of him figure out what question Aang was talking about. He was just about to let slip that Aang had asked a lot of fucking questions when the other boy turned to face him

“Do you think we could be friends?”

Any remark Zuko was going to make died as he looked at Aang. There was a weight to the younger boys gaze that reminded Zuko exactly why this kid was so powerful but he looked so earnest that Zuko could only smile softly in response.

“Yeah Aang, I think we could be friends”

Aang smiled brilliantly in response and launched himself at Zuko hugging him tightly. And if Zuko’s voice sounded a little too choked when he replied, or if Aang’s eyes looked a bit glassy they didn’t mention it. They simply sat next to each other as the first touches of dawn began to enter the sky.

~

_You will learn_

“Zuko”

_And suffering shall be your teacher_

“Zuko?”

_Blinding burning pain, someone was screaming, who was screaming, Father? Father don’t please, he could be better, father don’t-_

“Zuko!”

Zuko awoke with a gasp scrambling back with heaving breaths as he tried to study his surroundings. Heart pounding he moved his hand away from where it had been gripping his face and backed up further until his back hit the wall behind him. They were all staring at him, heavy gazes not leaving his still trembling form. There was a fragile sort of silence surrounding them and Zuko shuffled under their stares.

“Zuko-“Aang began tentatively but Zuko cut him off before he could continue

“It was just a nightmare, I’m fine” he said gruffly, he knew before he had even spoken that Toph would know he was lying

“That didn’t sound like a normal nightmare buddy” Sokka said softly but none of them moved any closer to him which he could appreciate. He felt like he was vibrating out of his skin.

“Look I don’t want to talk about it okay” Zuko snapped defensively drawing into himself more and wishing they would just leave him alone and stop looking at him and looking at his-

“How did you get that scar Zuko?” Katara asked softly, kind eyes meeting his.

They had become closer, Katara and he, after their ‘field trip’ as everyone was determined to refer it as but the pair of them still weren’t especially close. Zuko couldn’t especially blame her for her mistrust but that made it all the more confusing that it was her who had asked.

He should have seen it coming he thought as he finally got his breathing under control. They had come back from watching that pathetic excuse of a play when Zuko had dozed off, he should have expected they would have heard the mutterings of the crowd around them when they had left the theatre. Should have known they would want the story behind ‘a disgraced son with a traitors mark’

His Uncle would advise him to tell his friends, most likely through some long winded parable about the beauty of friendship. Zuko had found that if he had listened to Uncle more often he would not have had such a hard time before.

Zuko glanced up from where he had been steadily glaring at his hands folded in his lap. They were all looking at him with such imploring _worried_ faces and he found something inside of him just _broke_ and once he started talking, unravelling thread by thread, he couldn’t bring himself to stop

“I was let into a war meting and said something I shouldn’t have” it was possibly the most basic explanation he could give but he found himself unwilling to dive into all the details.

“I was disrespectful” and Agni how he hated how he choked on that word “and so I was challenged to an Agni Kai by the war general”

“It’s an honour duel between two fire benders” Aang chimed in seeing the confused faces of Sokka and Katara. Zuko nodded at the simplified explanation and continued on haltingly wringing his hands

“I attended the duel but there was someone else waiting for me instead of the General” Zuko paused and took a long shuddering breath before continuing “it was my father” sharp muffled gasps interrupted him and Zuko was glad for the distraction already feeling the memory trying to drag him down, swallow him whole.

“I refused to fight and he decided he would teach me a lesson”

_~~And suffering shall be your teacher~~ _

The echoes of his father’s voice made him shudder and he drew himself together tighter

“He burnt me and banished me and said I could only return home if I captured the Avatar” Zuko finished in a dead tone of voice even though the panic grabbing at his lungs wouldn’t fade. The silence only lasted for a few moments before it was broken, Aang bursting in righteous fury.

“That’s horrible” the Avatar spluttered and Zuko could only incline his head in agreement but privately he couldn’t help but wonder at their shock. The Fire Lord was a monster, why would his family be treated any differently? He didn’t have to look at the water-tribe siblings to know what they were thinking. How could a father do that to his own child? Having met Hakoda himself he could understand their disbelief. That man had even made Zuko feel less uneasy by the time they parted.

“I’m going to kill him” Sokka said with such an uncharacteristic seriousness that Zuko actually found himself fearing the look in his eyes for a minute. In hopes of alleviating the stifling tension Zuko cracked a smile.

“You’ll have to get in line”

Out of nowhere Toph practically launched herself at him and they both hit the ground with a thud. The earth bender had wrapped her arms around Zuko and burrowed herself into his side. Zuko was left floundering for a few moments. He looked desperately at the others not knowing what do with Toph. Aang grinned widely before scrambling up to join Toph.

“Cuddle Pile!” the air bender shouted exuberantly and Zuko barely had time to process what he had just said before he was once again being buried beneath everyone as they all tried to settle in around him. Katara actually shoved Sokka out of the way so she could claim Zuko’s other side as they all laughed giddily piling around him.

They settled down eventually, all seemingly content with their placing and intending to stay there for the foreseeable future. Smiling (Zuko didn’t think he could stop if he tried) he mock huffed wriggling slightly.

“Am I going to be allowed to move in the foreseeable future?”

“No” came Sokka’s instant reply and it was so quick that it startled a laugh out of him.

“How are you so warm?” Aang questioned from somewhere around him, Zuko couldn’t actually tell anymore, moving closer to take advantage of his warmth.

“Firebenders naturally run hot” Zuko said his response muffled by Katara’s hand.

“Heaters don’t speak Zuko” she murmured sleepily removing her hand after he threatened to lick it.

“Is that all I am to you now? A heater?” he joked. He hadn’t felt this light in years.

“Stop complaining sunshine” Toph muttered snuggling closer to him.

“I thought my nickname was sparky”

“It can be both”

Zuko found surrounded by all his friends and feeling better than he had in years, he really didn’t mind what they called him. He fell asleep still smiling.

No nightmares came for him that night.

~

The Fire lord was defeated.

Zuko didn’t quite know how to feel about that. Was it wrong of him to be glad his father wasn’t dead? Was it wrong of him to wishing he was? Azula had been put in one of the cells. Zuko didn’t want to deal with that right now. He didn’t want to deal with any of it ever. His head was a mess, everything was a mess. And so he had sneaked away while the group had been fussing over Sokka and escaped to the gardens. It wasn’t much of an escape, more of a hobble what with the shape he was in after Azula had tried to kill Katara, tried to kill him.

He had wandered to the royal gardens and sat down gingerly by the pond. He smiled at the quacking turtle-ducks as his thoughts chased each other round and round his head. Those were tomorrow’s problems. They were a Fire lords problems and for today at least he was not the Fire lord, he was just Zuko. And Zuko simply wanted to sit by a pond full of turtle-ducks.

“And would my runaway nephew indulge in a spot of tea with his Uncle?” Zuko heard Uncles’ voice behind him and scrambled to stand and face him faster than he probably should have in his current condition. Uncle was probably going to say something else, no doubt an idiom of some kind, but Zuko cut him off throwing himself at him and drawing him into a hug.

It wasn’t perfect, Zuko almost flinched away when Uncle raised his arms to hug him back and he was far too tense for it to be normal but it was a hug which is more than he could have given before

“I just want you to know Nephew” Uncle said softly “I am so very proud of you” he choked out and Zuko didn’t bother to blink away his tears.

“I love you” his Uncle whispered.

Tears slipped down both their faces but Zuko didn’t move away. He didn’t think he could bring himself to say it back, at least not yet, not now. But he squeezed his Uncle tighter and hoped that his Uncle knew what he couldn’t say.

It wasn’t perfect.

But it was a start.

~

That night instead of retreating to different rooms they all piled into Zuko’s dragging duvets and plush pillows behind them. Making possibly one of the most elaborate blanket forts ever seen they all collapsed into the fluffy pile. It would be strange sleeping alone when they all went their separate ways but Zuko resolved not to worry about any of that tonight, not when Toph and Aang were fighting over who got to cuddle up to him first. It was surreal, Zuko thought dazed as the others piled in around him taking advantage of his warmth, to find himself back in the palace where he started and yet feel so completely different.

Slowly they all drifted off to sleep around him, the events of the day clearly catching up to them as Aang snored softly beside him. Zuko had finally gotten his honour back, a throne and a kingdom but he found the only thing he really wanted was next to him. He did not need his honour when he instead had found his family.

**Author's Note:**

> I got forced into watching Avatar and didn't look back, I couldn't get this idea out of my head and so voila! thank you for reading!


End file.
